


Dog Poop

by Kharibdis



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-06 21:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/423302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kharibdis/pseuds/Kharibdis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was nothing you wanted to do but find sanctuary, a place of comfort, of relief; just anywhere but there. Your eyes start to dilate and your body capriciously shivers all over. The cold, thick rain definitely doesn't help in your struggle for a piece of sanity, weighing down and piercing you like the dome of heaven had fallen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Jade: Find your way around"

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Scrambled Eggs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/336352) by [ElasticPoodle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticPoodle/pseuds/ElasticPoodle). 



> So, I was kind of inspired to write this because of ElasticPoodle's work, Scrambled Eggs. It was actually the first fanfic from Homestuck I ever read and it really was a fun read.
> 
> This is still a work in progress! So some things might change!

Your name is Jade Harley and your breath is getting the best of you. Your long disheveled hair hides your crazed, green eyes as you attempt to find your way around the dark, damp forest. You're sure you've been here before, but the fact that it is night with no stars in the sky didn't help you find your way at all. You can barely perceive the image of the full moon above your head, giving the greenery around you a tint of light, of hope. Darkness was all around you and your failing sight was greater than you thought. Your head pounded with uncertainties, taking away your consciousness as well as your common sense, fleeing like a dog that lost sight of its master.

There was nowhere to turn now and you need answers. Quickly. You don't know where you are, or how you're going to get there, but, you know that where you're going will be the only place you can go to for some consol. You haven't seen a familiar face in months, though your appearance seemed to say more like decades, your face losing the youth it had on your island back home. The long skirt that you found in the institution was now tattered and soiled, but you didn't care. There was no reason to care. Your sore feet gave in, bruised and cut from insanely running through the line of trees, meeting with nettles and rugged stones that didn't care for your predicament, nor found it necessary to relieve your suffering. Your knees hit the floor quietly, saved by the soft grass under you; your hands did no good in saving you, however, unable to hold your upper body. You sprawl yourself on the smooth, wet grass, breathing in the clean, fresh smell of nature, something you haven't felt in a very long time. You decide to just stay where you are, give up, and wait for the plants to engulf you entirely. 

"Everything goes back to the earth someday," you hear yourself whisper breathlessly, collapsing to the soaked grass face forward, the dirt seeping into your tangled, black hair. 

You feel like part of the ground already, sharing the same wet texture, crushed under not only the forces of gravity, but also by your very own weight. You smile slightly and look at your scarred hands one last time, remembering what these hands did and what use they were now in the end.

You close your eyes just to feel your heart beating louder and louder. Your ears are pumping blood from excessive adrenaline, engulfing your hearing with a pulse that mollified your stress slightly. There was a vague sound in the darkness, however, a sound of a car on the road next to you. Your vision gets a little bit brighter, lights coming closer and closer to your still body.

"Can this be it?" Maybe the end was closer than you thought.

You don't have the energy to answer, nor want the answer itself. You feel delicate hands push you, turning your body over with a slight force. You squint your eyes at a familiar face, who was picking you up now with failing strength. Her scarf fluttered like a butterfly in the strong wind, a flag in the battlefield. The warmth of her body makes you smile, and you quickly fall unconscious in the arms of your savior.

The last thing you heard was the door closing next to you, followed by the deep, exhausted, yet relieved breaths of your friend on the wheel. Thunder and lightning finally appeared in the darkness, a ray of hope on your part.


	2. "Jade: Wake Up"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dreams never usually come true, but nightmares are definitely an exception.

The lights were bright above her. Jade attempted to shield her eyes, only to find her arms latched onto the cold surface under her. She didn’t have to know what she was on; she knew what it was. It was the table that she was pinned to every time she was in this room, with the same terrible tools by her side. A scalpel, a butcher’s knife, needles and pins, and various unconceivable objected were there, eyeing her like a hobo craving over a dirty mutt on the street. She could only move her neck and head, which she wriggled around to see where the hell she was, though she already knew. Struggling to break the constraints, this situation seemed like a daily activity. This scene was so familiar, yet it only gave her more shock and discomfort to be in her current position every time. You could never get used to this. This wasn’t normal; this was cruel, disgusting, and yet, you were subjected to it all. “This is where you have been for what seemed like ages, and it wasn’t a miracle that your mouth wasn’t covered this time around,” she thought. There was a chuckle behind her, and she turned her head sideways, eyes widening with fear. She knew that laugh from anywhere. Thoughts of even being a part of this woman’s life were the death of her, images flashing before her eyes. There was the sight of the pains she felt, going deep into her skin, crawling within the very anatomy that was now torn and shackled by these constant notorieties the woman subjected to her. And this was another part of that hell, another segment of the metal torture chamber she was put into. Jade heard heels hit the floor, inching their way closer to her with a click clack; that was the sound of a classy lady, but there was no class in her tactics. Her heart sped up, her heart rate shooting up to twice the speed, which showed on the electrocardiogram to her left.  
The figure’s breathing was just fine; a real demon would do that. Jade could even hear the smirk on her face, not even needing to look up at her. The person leaned down, breathing in her ear. The persona whispered one word, enough to make Jade’s heart explode.

“Goodnight”

And with that, a shot of pain raised through Jade’s body, a sensation that started at the pits of her stomach, finding its way through her legs, her arms, her fingertips, and out.  
A disturbed screech was ignited through her dry throat.

…

Finding the tips of her fingers start to have some feeling, Jade started to open her eyes, seeing a soft white light above her head. The walls around her were as white as snow, blending together, smoothing at the corners. She breathed a long, deep breath; it was only a dream. A terrible, terrible dream. How did I get here anyways, she thought. But, the answer was still blurry, from the rough night from before and the nights before that. Suddenly noticing her current position, she jolted up immediately, only to find a sting of pain within her back, stringing towards the nape of her neck and beyond. Screaming at the sudden shock, she laid back down on the soft surface under her, like a cloud. Keeping her eyes open, she decided not panic at all. In fact, she begins to enjoy the scenic luxuries of this room. The walls stretched out from the ceiling are also pure white, leading its way to a carpet floor of a greyish-hue, with no imperfections. There was a small cupboard with a long, tall, lamp next to the white bed you slept in, turned off at the sight of morning. The window to your right was wide open, the curtains gently swaying in the light wind. This was nothing like last night, nor the many nights before it. Jade’s head started to hurt suddenly, a sign of remembrance of the times spent in that hellhole, and pinched her forehead in disgust. Shaking her head, she decided to stay away from those memories and find something else to occupy your mind.

Jade slowly removed the blankets from her body, revealing a new set of pajamas she’d never seen before, filled with colorful squiddles smiling at her with glee. She smiled back at them, remembering the good times she had just hugging her squiddle plushes and making them hug each other. It seemed like eons ago, but she knew that it has been significantly less than that.

Her eyes suddenly widen, remembering how she screamed earlier. The sound of footsteps didn’t help anything.

Jade quickly went under the covers, in case there were some unwanted visitors in what she considered her peaceful place now. If she could stay in here forever, she would. Besides, it had an angelic feel to it. Heaven on earth, right? The empty room felt so good right now, and it wouldn’t be fun with an unwanted visitor around.

Hearing feet press slightly against the carpet beside her, Jade’s breath stoped completely, waiting for the next move with her heart pounding recklessly. The blanket was slightly ajar, letting her notice a white bath robe. The figure moved the blanket away from Jade, showing her frightened face under the covers. She is frightened as well, but there was something more to it, a tint of pity and remorse. She gently smoothed her friend’s hair, still dirtied by the fall she took before.

“Jade,” she said, “Jade, wake up. It’s okay,” and gently touched her face.

Surprised by the skin contact, Jade’s eyes opened up and stare at the person before her, growling with a purpose of biting her hand off. But, she stops and looks at the girl in front of her, smiling with glee, remembering her dear friend.

“Rose! Oh Rose!” She quickly embraced her, ignoring all the pain in her body and started tearing up in the sheer joy of seeing her best friend in front of her at last. Rose gently embraces her back, closing her eyes and smiling slightly.

After a few moments, Rose removed Jade from her body calmly. But, even with this notion, Jade started bawling with tears. Separation was crude, terrible, unwanted. It was something that travelled far between two people and might never be taken back again. Jade knew this by now; she knew it deep in her heart. Rose pats Jade’s head, expecting her to settle down finally. As expected, Jade calmed down and sucked up her remaining tears, making more of a mess of herself than the time she awoke; her eyes were red and puffy and her nose showed no sign of a rest from mucus. Jade smiled at Rose, finding comfort in seeing her friend again.

“I can’t believe your here! I finally found you! Or, well, you found me. But, I was sure I was about to die! Then, an angel came up, but I guess that was you, wasn’t it? Oh god I was so lost and now your here and I haven’t felt so happy since…” Jade paused, her eyes starting to dilate in confusion and resentment. She pressed her hands against her head, and then proceeded to pound her temple rapidly, breathing deeply in terror.

Rose rocked Jade’s body back and forth, yelling at her to get a hold of herself. “Jade. Stop it! Come back! Your safe! Just stop and calm down!” Hearing the pain in her friend’s voice, Jade stopped bonking her head and gazed emptily at the blankets next to her, recollecting her thoughts.

“What happened to you?” Rose said desperately. She took her friend’s wrist and stroked the string bracelet that was so familiar to her. “You were missing for months. The police couldn’t even find you. They searched everywhere on your island, but you weren’t there. We thought you couldn’t swim that far and they said a boat hasn’t arrived there since a few years ago.” Rose smoothed Jade’s now rustled hair, feeling her ‘OCD complex’ kicking in even in the most deranged times. “We were worried sick about you.” Remembering the image of her friend from last night, Rose decided that the situation was probably very complicated, and decided to ask her a different time.

“Right now, get yourself dressed. You’re in no situation to be telling us… whatever you had in mind.”

Rose disappeared into the room next door, coming back with a towel, a toothbrush, and some toothpaste. “The bathroom is down the hall. Please wash yourself nicely. My mother would have a fit if she saw you like this”.

Jade looked at her with solemn eyes, wondering if her condition hurt her friend in any way. “Thanks, Rose. Really, thanks a lot,” she said earnestly.

She went out of the room, attempting to ignore the pain in her body, but winced at her cuts that were opening up under her pajamas. Rose noticed and ran to support her with her own shoulders, leading her to the bathroom, where she closed the door gently behind Jade. She waited next to the door, waiting till she heard the water running, and quietly walked away.  
Rose went back to the room where Jade lay, sat on the bed and put her head on her hands, letting out a deep sigh. This was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are always things to be done in the life of Rose Lalonde, some more extreme than others, and certainly less obscure.

Rose finally received her learner's permit at the age of 16, but because her mom was probably busy at home doing whatever she usually did, she found herself driving by herself along the eerie roads near her house in the forest. She was cautious not to run over any stray animals and kept her eyes straight ahead, static and tilting ever so slightly when a corner came around. The contrast to her calm, serene character that she usually put on definitely set the standards of who she was and how she promptly behaved. But now, she felt nothing but fear of slipping off the road into the dark forest at the side of the road; how uncool her her, she thought. "If anyone saw me like this, I would look positively insane," she would've broke out saying. But because of her current state of nervousness, she didn't even acknowledge the possible thoughts of others.

With the gift of keen eyesight and peripheral vision, it really wasn't hard for her to see anything on the road; her eyes fed on everything in front of her, and she kept close attention to everything that passed by. The body on the road definitely wasn't an exception. She pushed the breaks with all her might and felt tense under the roof of her aging convertible. Putting her foot out the door to see the fallen figure, she blushed and returned to her seat to park the car, hoping no one else was on the road on her return. After this embarrassing forgetfulness, she rushed off to aid the body on the soaking damp road. Her shock from the drive here didn't help her mindset at all. She found herself looking at a familiar figure, something that didn't happen often. Getting on her knees to get a closer look, she look at the wrist of the fallen girl and, as she predicted, it was her. Making sure, she flipped the body over, barely finding the strength, because of her post-traumatic drive and the state her friend was in. She saw the girl's face, and it was definitely her, Jade Harley, missing since September, 6 months ago. Looking down at her friend, she smiled with relief, the rain hiding the tears falling down her cheeks. 

She proceeded to pick her up, and placed her into the passenger's seat of the car, and swore to herself that if she didn't get home safely, she would certainly severely punish herself with no wizard fanfics for a month. 

The drive home was probably the worst. The thunder and lightning only made it worse for her to feel slightly normal in her predicament. Rose continually stopping to look at Jade to see if she was okay. And every time she did, she was fine, sleeping calmly, as if she gave herself in to just dreams. Only dreams now.

The sight of her house up the hill was, once again, a giant relief on her part. She reached her destination and parked in front of the garage at the back of the house, attempting to even try going into the garage to park in it, and being fully aware that the keys to the garage were still inside the house to begin with. The waterfall at the back of her house continued to fall, roaring louder than usual because of the excessive rainfall in the area. The white house was glowing in the night, though the atmosphere around it was nothing uplifting at all. Rose, taking Jade out of the passenger's seat, gently carried her on her shoulder, holding onto her back. Finding the strength to hold her, she flung open the door to her house and staggered her way to the couch next to the entrance. Her mother recently took away most of the wizard statues in the room for some reason, so it was easier to navigate around the house without toppling over one of the bearded fiends. Though she secretly found compassion for these magical creatures, she found it troubling that her mother would bother her with such obsession. Finding better things to think about, she looked over at Jade, still asleep.

Rose let out a sigh, wondering what to do with the girl in front of her. She decided that if she were to stay in her house, she might as well be properly cleaned up. Though her mother didn't care much for a dirty household, barely cleaning the house herself, unless for ironic purposes, Rose definitely cared for the well-being of the house. "She would also think that it would be better if she were cleaned," she thought, sparing herself from thinking that her personal hygiene wasn't only for her sake. She found herself carrying Jade upstairs, avoiding the tumble she would go through if she ever lost her balance.

Noticing the blood stains on her clothes, she propped Jade on the bathroom floor, where it was easiest to clean up afterwards. She examined her carefully, not wanting to touch any wounds in any way. Most of the cuts on her arms and legs were shallow, creating only red streaks across her body. She knew that the wounds were deepest underneath her clothes, but even at the age of sixteen, taking off another girl's clothes is kind of embarrassing. What if she woke up right now? What would she do then? Though, she will probably get an infection if I don't look at her, she claimed. Acting on this notion, she took of Jade's top hastily, not noticing that this would probably be terrible for her wounds. 

What she saw sent a shiver down her spine, and a need for a bucket. From the beginning of her neck to the bottom of her stomach, there was a huge scarred gash, reopened slightly by the tension she forced onto her body. If the blood was still fresh and enough to stain most of her shirt, then it wouldn't be a surprise if it bled even more than before. She rinsed Jade off with a wet towel, taking off the blood and dirt stains from her body, which dried up quickly from contact with the air. She quickly treated the wounds, patting the gash gently with hydrogen peroxide. Jade, though slightly moaning in pain, remained still in her position. Rose quietly blushed and quickly finished her job. 

Going back to her room to find her a new change in clothes, she found it difficult to find something that fitted Jade's style. "Even in the worst of times, we must never forget our taste in fashion," she thought, as she rummaged through her closet. She found a pair of pajamas that she received from her mother on her thirteenth birthday, a pair of soft squiddle pajamas filled with iridescent shades of colors. It hurt her eyes to stare at them even more than a few seconds, let alone wear them for the whole night, so she trashed them in the depths of her closet the same night. She brought these up to Jade, who was still on the bathroom floor, and dressed her gently.

There was the guest room at the end of the hall, where no one had laid in ever since they moved into the house. The room was as clean as ever, her mother coming in from time to time just to wipe dust off the table or find cobwebs appearing at the corners of the room. That woman cared about the little things, which was admirable in a sense, but shook you as odd nonetheless. The blankets were still folded properly, and the pillows were still soft and fluffy, as if it were trapped in space and time, never moving, always still.

Rose placed Jade down and covered her body with the blankets, securing her body in the covers to not make her move as much. She gazed at her friend, in a deep sleep, unaware of the things she had to go through to get her here, to drive unattended, to save her, and yet, Rose didn't care. And as any good friend would do, she kissed her friend's forehead goodnight, shut off the lights, and exited the room.


	4. "Rose: Think about today's events"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings always spoke of happiness and a new beginning. Well, the sun isn't up yet, so there's no need to think too hard about that.

There really isn't anything to think about. Your BEST friend has been missing for months, leaving a big hole inside your life and, as cute as it sounds, your heart. When you were younger, you were always left alone, your mother always away in her room, doing whatever she was to do in there. You never knew the secrets of your mom. She was a stealthy woman, knowing no boundaries, yet setting them up just the same. She always had a knack of concealing herself, scaring the shit out of you whenever you were doing ordinary things around the house, from writing a chapter in your Harry Potter fan fiction, to eating brunch in the kitchen. She always had a lot of words to say and you couldn't blame her. She was drunk 24/7 and had a tendency to strike up conversation any time she liked. She was usually very jolly and slightly promiscuous, even to her own daughter. That woman didn’t know much when she was drunk, but she was a very talented woman nonetheless. Now that you think about it, you have never seen her sober since the incident, and didn't wish to see her that way ever again. The last time she did was not a very pleasant thing to see, you concluded.

You find your way to your room, using your cell phone as a guide towards the dark night that resided throughout the house, possibly perceived as a firefly from the house next door. But, since your next door neighbor was probably a mile and a half away from where you were, you doubt the little light could even be seen. What are you even thinking about. Stop it; you're being silly (though being a clown is your specialty). You approach your room, a marker scrawling in pink marker in front of your face, a light reminder of who you are. It read "Rose Lalonde" in a petty script, the first attempts in writing that you've ever faced at such a young age. You remember your mother picked you up to do this, and nearly dropped you at the sight of the ‘cute little hands’ that held the marker tightly. You remember your life flash before your short life at that moment. That's when times were lighter, when things were better in the household.

With a sigh, you turn the handle on the door and make your way into your room. It was a very common room, filled with your interests. There are various posters on the walls, with dark lore of creatures of the farthest depths of the earth, the grim tales of the human race telling stories of the evils of the earth. You find them comforting, though. It was extremely interesting to learn about the bestially strange and fictitious. Your violin was propped at the corner of your room, on top of your small dresser, which consisted of your normal everyday clothes. Nothing interesting there. You felt no urge to play a haunting refrain today. Your disheveled bed was to the left of you, with your knitting equipment placed next to your pillows in case you ever wanted to do a late night knitting session. You settle at your computer desk, which had your laptop prompted in front of your chair and a book at the side for your curiosity. 

You turn on your laptop, to find the little numbers at the bottom of the screen to read "4:13AM". It wasn't a shock to find yourself awake this early. In fact, you're usually up this early on a daily basis. You were home schooled, so there was no reason to wake up hearing an alarm of any sort. 

Pesterchum was wide open on the side, stating your few friends that you love to play games with. But, those three were offline now, and one of them was in the room next door. You sigh at the thought of her safety, finally finding her. You then realized you sighed a lot today, and will probably sigh a lot more later on. You were exasperated; it was only natural.

There was nothing you can do now; only to find some shuteye and wait for Jade to wake up. But, you found it necessary to tell your friends about your discovery. You send them a message to wake up to in the morning. It was very late in their areas, but it wasn't as late as yours. Even when you woke up, you would have to wait for their response, so why not now? You pester them both the same message, just to remind them to chat her back when they do wake up. You found it rude to tell all the information up front; it would probably confuse them, and you wanted to be there to tell them what happened. 

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 4:13AM --  
TT: I find myself in a complicated position that convicts me to tell you something that has happened today in the mist of my adventures driving for the first time today.  
TT: And if you were wondering whether that attempt was successful, the answer is actually quite ambiguous.  
TT: It was a hell ride in and of itself, but I did find myself at wrong turns at some points and had distasteful moments of self-loathing at some of the frustrating decisions I've made.  
TT: As interesting as the story is, or might become, I have bigger, and possibly more important things in mind to tell you, and why I cannot tell you when you're awake.  
TT: You see, I have miraculously found our very dear friend. This is all I will tell you on the matter.  
TT: And I expect a giant, girly sleepover at my house any time soon. You are also invited to the bombast event. It will serve as a grandiloquent ball, filled with finely laced women in peacock feathers and handsome suitors.  
TT: I am not a charlatan, nor a quack on this matter. I have actually found her and carried her to my lair.  
TT: Please don't be alarmed and calmly reply back to me as soon as you see this.  
TT: Goodnight.

Of course, you sent this to both your friends. But, you seem a bit more complied to tell this boy first. Why? Most likely because of the slight infatuation you might have for this individual and his relations towards the girl kept in your guest bedroom. Those seemed to be good enough reasons for you.

You close the computer after giving sentences that were so vague that you can't even believe you just spent your good time writing it. But, today has really been crazy, and this sleep depravity isn't working out as well as it should, or as it shouldn't.

Continuing your first notion for entering the room, you go to your bed, and fling the covers on top of you, settling for a good night sleep as relief to your extremities. But, though you tried very hard, the questions formulating in your mind were enough to keep you awake for an hour or so. Deep in your mind, you have been infected. The batter was slowly churning in your head as you slept, the giant spoon of thought wreaking havoc in your subconscious. It was a curse set on you by the gods themselves, gladly feeding on your cerebrum.


	5. "Jade: Contact the Others"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even in the worst of things, teenage girls do what they do best: talk.

Exiting the bathroom, Jade hit a soft pile of clothes under her feet, realizing Rose put them there for her to wear. She hastily went back into the bathroom, coming out anew. She felt refreshed, being unable to take a bath for days. The tension from her body was wearing away, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that what she experienced couldn’t be avoided. The precautions that she took to take away all the pain she felt, the insanity that she devoured herself in, would not help at all. There was a feeling of resentment towards her cowardice, but the obligation to go towards her fears destroyed her even more. Anyone would feel the same; to attempt to face their displeasures for the sake of their own wellbeing isn’t a walk in the park, per se; and Jade knew this for a fact.

Jade suddenly realizes a new cut that appeared on her hand. This must’ve been when she was scratching herself a while ago. But, how could her fingers even do that so easily? With a look of horror, Jade quickly glanced at her fingernails, or better yet, lack of fingernails. The one on her ring finger had fallen off completely, leaving a pink scar to replace it. She felt her remaining fingernails carefully, feeling the looseness of some of them, ready to fall off any second. You’re going to miss these little fellas, even if you didn't take care of them all that well. You recall the chores you had to do at your house on the island, and the least of your worries were how your fingernails looked. There wasn’t a beauty salon, except for the one miles and miles across the sea. And heck, you’ve never been there before till now. It was silly thing to think at such a strange moment, but what else could get any weirder? Rose would notice sooner or later, she figured. Great, another thing to make her worry. She put her hands in her pockets and started down the hallway. 

In the other room, Rose was casually dressed in a light, purple sweater, as soft as a sheep, since no animal can serve as a better simile. Her feet scrunched up under her tight black leggings, secured by her jean shorts that were tattered at the ends. It was definitely cold in her house, although it was March, and it was only reflected through the piles of winter clothes still piled around the house. There was a sense of home in the very formal house. The ceiling above their heads was beyond reach, yet felt so close in its pureness. Everything was as white as snow, a dome of light above them. It was beautiful, even in the darkest of times. Jade could see Rose from the other room down the hallway, kneeling and situating her belongings. Her efforts were extremely charming, as she always is, giving off the aura of a wonderful host. 

“I hope you have yourself settled,” Rose called out through her room. Jade situated herself in front of her door, peering into Rose’s room.

“Yup! All done here! Sorry if I made a mess of anything; I’ll do something about it later”

“Well, no,” Rose blushed, holding the back of her neck. “It’s quite alright. It’s not something a friend wouldn’t do for another”. Rose got a hold of some socks, put them on hastily, and exited her room, shutting the door behind her.

“There really isn’t room for girly chit-chat now, isn’t there?” Rose was spot on, and it was clear in Jade’s face that she felt the same way. “But, this really is a serious predicament. You’re wounds are the least of my worries.” Rose swallowed the choke forming in her voice. “What you really need is some psychological help. It seems my studies in meddling might actually serve of use for once. There really isn’t anyone to serve as a good model for my services.” Rose eased down on the couch, inviting her friend to the spot next to her.

“That sounds really creepy to me, Rose… Are you sure you really want to get yourself into this? I’m fine, you know. I don’t think I need anything all that serious to help me at all!” Jade sat down next to Rose, cuddling up next to her. She looked at the hems of her shirt, sewed up nicely, showing effort and patience in its substance. “I mean, I’m perfectly fine now! I think all I needed was some good rest and some cleaning up.” She looked up at her friend’s face only to find her looking back, not buying the words coming out of her mouth. Lies were one of the things Rose could detect easily. And this was one of those things she saw in a second.

Jade placed her head in her hands, shaking her head back and forth. There was so much to say, but so hard to convey. She barely understood her situation herself. There was no chance she could tell what had happened to her there. She needed time to recollect her thoughts, possibly examine her situation more thoroughly. She acted on a whim back there; there was nothing that connected her to how she was right now. 

Suddenly a giant grumble burst through the room. Jade violently blushed red and clutched her stomach.  
Rose laughed, “I guess I forgot to take your stomach to account”. Rose rose up briskly. “I’ll go get something from the fridge. There’s got to be something in there”. She exited to the kitchen.  
Jade sighed in relief. It was enough that you came here the night before after literally losing consciousness, but now your best friend wants to dissect your very brain! Goodness, things couldn’t get any worse. But, you smile; you guess that that’s why your friend is so special in a way. She has a strange habit of doing things and they aren’t all that bad, either. There is always something interesting in her. But, it wasn’t helping that this was a peculiar event on both of your parts; it sort of rose some tension into your relationship. You wished your other friends were here to consol you on your friendship issues.  
It suddenly hit you; you haven’t talked to those two in months! You sure hope that they’re okay and in good shape, which was an extreme possibility. Those two boys never know what they’re doing; fooling around seems to be their specialties. You grab Rose’s laptop from her room and hurry to your original spot on the couch, logging into your pester chum. Your two friends seem to be online and almost immediately, you receive messages from the both of them. “It seems that he’s the first one to come to my needs,” she thought, looking at her friend’s message, one that she hasn’t seen for so long.

EB: jade! my gosh, where have you been???  
EB: we were worried sick about you! i was actually wondering if you got seriously lost on your island or something  
EB: cause, you know, i don’t even see how you can live on that thing in the first place.  
GG: hey, john! :D im so happy to see yoooou~~ <3  
GG: yeah, its been a long time, hasnt it! i hope i didn't scare you guys too much…  
GG: but, im fine! im sure i haven’t lost any limbs *checks body* everything’s in place!  
EB: doctor egbert has his patient safe and sound! this calls for a celebration!  
GG: pop the champagne! SPEEEWWWWWWW!!!! look at all the sparkly juice go!  
EB: jade! we’re underage!  
EB: but because this is such a great celebration, i guess it wouldn't hurt this once.  
GG: yay! let’s get this party staaaaarted~~~!!!  
EB: hehehehe. alright, enough of the jokes. where have you been, jade?  
GG: well, its kind of hard to explain right now… i barely knew where i was to begin with!  
GG: i was in some dark place all the time, in some sort of lab. they had all this weird gunk around me and it was pretty freaky to look at!  
EB: wow. jade, your imagination is getting wilder by the second! but, i guess it's a start. now, stop with the games. i really want to know what happened!  
GG: but, john! that IS really what happened! i’m not so sure myself, but i’m pretty sure all of what i saw was no bad dream… if it was, then maybe i AM going insane! :(  
EB: oh. that’s pretty harsh. i’m so sorry for that.  
GG: and what’s worse (don't tell rose i said this), but my fingernails are falling off! good thing there’s no blood under it. i would’ve fainted by now if it did!  
EB: that sounds really serious! 

Rose came in with some leftover pizza from the fridge and handed it to Jade, happily accepting it and scarfing it in a minute or two. 

“Be careful not to choke. We don’t want that happening on my living room floor, do we?” 

Jade nodded post-haste. She put her plate down and continued typing to her hanging friend.

EB: should i go there right now?  
EB: i think you might need some more company. i heard you’re at rose’s house and i’m pretty sure its not going so well there.

“You can always count on your ecto-biological brother to always know what’s up,” Jade thought to herself. It had only been recently that she found out about this phenomenon, but it all made sense in the end. In fact, as she placed the pieces together, it probably made sense since the beginning! John always seemed like a brother to you and you loved him like any family should!

GG: i’m not sure. :/ i’m going to have to ask rose about it! it would be odd to invite you to HER house suddenly.

“Who are you talking to?” Rose asked.

“John,” Jade nudged. She continued to elbow her friend, causing Rose to push her away playfully, hiding the pink hue from her face. 

“I thought you were over that phase! Shipping John and me is as old as time! You’ve haven’t stopped bothering about it ever since you found out that John was your brother and that other aloof boy was mine!” 

“But, Rose! You know I wouldn’t want it any other way! You know I only wanted to be related to you in SOME way! And that’s the closest way I got!” Jade chuckled. “Plus, it seems like you don’t reject it when I say it! There must be something up with that.” 

Rose hid her head in her purple laced pillow, knitted a week before. 

“Oh. John asks of he can come over. Is that okay with you?”

Rose just nodded her head, keeping her face fixed on the pillow, curling up into a ball next to Jade.

GG: alright! she said yes!!! my goodness this is so exciting! giant sleepover palooza at lalonde’s plaaace!  
EB: woohoo! bring out the streamers! this party’s going to go mobilize itself on the other side of the US!  
EB: because, you know, i live on the west coast and…  
EB: yeah, i killed it. don’t tell rose i said that.  
GG: i wont; don’t worry.  
EB: you know, she did invite me before, too. i just got it this morning. but, it was pretty vague  
EB: not to mention, it sounded really wacky! but, she’s pretty wacky, too, so i’m not sure!  
GG: well, you’re invited again :D so, come bring your stuff!  
EB: ok! i just hope you’re okay, jade!!! you stay put there. don’t do any funny business without me!  
GG: haha! okay, john. i’ll try not to!

“Okay! He’s on his way!” 

“Have you talked to Strider yet?” Rose perked up. 

“Oh no! I forgot to respond to him! I guess I was a bit preoccupied…”

“Wow, you resisting a Strider chat? There definitely is something wrong with you, Jade,” Rose hinted, teasing her friend. She knew that along with the shipping chart Jade created for Rose and John, there would have to be another pair that went along with it. And Jade new darn well that it was necessary to fulfill.

“Rooooose! You know we’re not like that!” Jade blushed lightly and hid the smile on her face, knowing that this would only cause more teases. 

Not doing such a good job, Rose nudged at her some more. “You know he’s going to ask you out sooner or later; he’s just waiting for the right moment. That boy never knows when he should be opening his mouth. He’s an enigma, that kid.” Rose’s psychoanalysis on her brother proved worthy by giving her the inside scoop of even a small piece of his brain, unable to be cracked open easily with just a few questions. But, with Jade, it seemed to be a totally different story. She didn’t have to try as hard, or even try at all. That boy was an open book to her and Rose knew it.

“So, what’re you waiting for? Go chat him back!”

“I was about to, anyways! Jeesh!” Jade referred to the red text in front of her.

TG: so i heard your at rose’s place  
TG: probably doing something like painting each other’s fingernails  
TG: or braiding each other’s hair  
TG: like those lousy lady soap operas where giant curvy ladies start throwing chairs at each other  
TG: just for a fucking empanada.  
TG: then i started to wonder why the hell you weren’t at my place  
TG: in my bed  
TG: because i love you  
GG: dave, can you be any more sincere??? :P  
GG: and that’s a very strange… episode. good thing i never had a tv!  
TG: dont worry  
TG: pretty sure the internet is probably a hundred times worse than those retarded cat fights  
TG: and when i say cats, i mean gigantic dogs hurdling at each other slobbering all over their bodies and biting their limbs off  
TG: dog eat dog world with the fresh scent of cannibalistic behavior  
TG: your argument is invalid.  
GG: if only i had an argument in the first place!!!  
GG: and i just found myself at rose’s house! it really was kind of a miracle that i appeared here in the first place.  
TG: as long as you're okay  
TG: i was about to flip my shit before  
TG: running off rampaging all over the place just to find you and get all matrimonial  
TG: and bam appearing 6 months later  
TG: wth happened?  
GG: it's a really long story and i’m really not sure how to start it!  
GG: but, you should come over! john is on his way here and i’m pretty sure you don’t want to miss a pretty sweet hangout! ;D  
TG: that wink is more promiscuous than i thought  
TG: right in the heart  
TG: so dirty jade wow that's pretty low of you  
GG: :P!  
TG: alright ill get my shit together  
TG: you mind if my bro comes?  
TG: hes been bugging me all day and i think hell shut up if he came along  
GG: yeah sure! but, i don't see how bringing him here will do anything at all…  
TG: my bros pretty wack no doubt about it  
GG: haha! i hope he’ll let you slide this time! i think we need all the help we can get. i think things might get pretty serious here…  
TG: how serious can that even be?  
TG: i am the pure essence of serious business  
GG: you are the serious, it is you. xD  
TG: nailed it  
TG: whats so serious though?  
TG: cant be too bad you seem fine  
GG: honestly, i’m having trouble getting myself together. my head always hurts just thinking about these past few months and it just has me shaking all over :(  
GG: also, i’m starting to lose fingernails…  
TG: …ill be right there

“Now we have those two coming here. Do we need anything to plan?” Jade looked at Rose, expecting a very eloquent response, but she just sat there, thinking.

“No, they’ll come as they wish. We’ll pick them up tomorrow if necessary. I believe Dave’s flight will probably come sooner than John’s, since he lives significantly closer”

Jade smiled at her friend, sincerely with a warm heart. She always had something in mind, always thinking about something to the next. Rose always seemed to conceal so much of herself, yet Jade knew that she could trust her. It added to her interesting character. You cherished it more than anything now; it was a beauty in and of itself to be able to be near your friend for the first time. 

Jade really couldn’t believe it; her friends that she had never seen except for on the computer screen were finally coming over. Though it wasn’t the most ideal situation, it was better than nothing, and she was ready to make the most of it. 

But, in all of this, there was really something happening to her, no matter what she thought. The dream from last night was engraved into her head, the disturbing images that she remembered so well appearing every time she thought of that place, sometimes involuntarily, but appearing nonetheless. “There has to be an escape,” she thought, sighing in disbelief that this was actually happening. It hadn’t been so long ago since she was back in her old room, playing games or gardening or whatever she used to do. That life was over now; there was no turning back, and you knew this from the bottom of your heart. You gaze at your fingers, now turning paler than usual. You caress them carefully, not wanting another one of your remaining fingernails to fall off. Your middle finger does it anyways, falling on your lap.

“Shit.”


End file.
